Hiring the right head coach can completely change the trajectory of a program, but those wearing the headset don’t often get enough credit for the hires they make as support personnel around them. Luring and enticing the right mind on the offensive or defensive end can pay immediate dividends. Urban Meyer was one of the best head coaches in our generation, but he also had an eye for coaching talent.
ESPN believes so too. Adam Rittenberg compiled a list of the ten best assistant coach hires over the past decade, and there were two mentions of — stay with me — three guys Myer brought to Ohio State.
One of those is the polarizing, current Texas head coach Tom Herman. Say what you will about the man, but he put a stamp on a Buckeye offense that was absolutely horrendous before his arrival. Also, as a package deal, Rittenberg singles (or doubles) out Ryan Day and Kevin Wilson.
Here’s what he has to say about both timely and extremely instrumental hires, and where he ranks them among those ten.
Next … Tom Herman
No. 8 – Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman
What Rittenberg says
Hired: Dec. 9, 2011
Term: 2012-14
What he inherited: “Ohio State had a talented young quarterback, Braxton Miller, but had finished 107th in yards and 81st in scoring during the 2011 season. The Buckeyes eclipsed 27 points just five times that season.”
What happened next: “Urban Meyer came to Columbus with exceptional offensive credentials, but he deserves credit for hiring a coordinator he had never worked with in Herman, from Iowa State. Herman immediately began improving the offense, starting with Miller, who won 2012 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors and set the team’s single-season total offense record (3,310 yards). Ohio State’s offense in 2013 set 12 single-season school records, including 4,321 rushing yards, also a Big Ten record. Herman did his best work in 2014, as Ohio State overcame a preseason injury to Miller and a late-season injury to standout freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett to ultimately win the national title game with third-stringer Cardale Jones. The Buckeyes ranked fifth nationally in scoring (44.8 PPG), and Herman won the Broyles Award.”
Next … Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day
No. 5 – Ohio State Co-offensive coordinators Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day
What Rittenberg says
Hired: Jan. 10, 2017 (Wilson) and Jan. 3, 2017 (Day)
Term: Wilson 2017-present; Day 2017, 2018 seasons (named Ohio State head coach Dec. 4, 2018)
What they inherited: “A talented offense with a convoluted coaching structure and damaging no-shows against Michigan State in 2015 and in the 2016 CFP semifinal against Clemson, a defense that shut out the Buckeyes 31-0. Ohio State in 2016 ranked 48th nationally in yards per play and 81st in passing offense.”
What happened next: “Wilson was the high-profile hire, while Day arrived as a relative unknown after two years on Chip Kelly’s NFL staff. Together, they have overseen a record-setting offense and the best stretch of quarterback play in team history. In 2017, Ohio State rose to No. 6 nationally in scoring (41.4 PPG) and ranked in the top 10 in yards per play, first downs and third-down conversion percentage. The next year, Ohio State set Big Ten records for total offense (535.6 YPG) and touchdown passes (51). Since 2017, Ohio State leads the nation in touchdown passes (138) and ranks second in total touchdowns (234). Quarterback Dwayne Haskins was a 2018 Heisman Trophy finalist and became the first Buckeyes QB drafted in the first round since 1982. Quarterbcak Justin Fields, a 2019 Heisman finalist, should be one of the first names called in the 2021 draft. Since 2017, Ohio State is 38-4 with three Big Ten titles and three AP top-five finishes.”
It should be noted that ahead of these two hires in Columbus, the top four assistant hires over the last decade according to Rittenberg include Clemson co-offensive coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott (4), Oklahoma offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley (3), LSU passing game coordinator Joe Brady (2), and Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables at No. 1.
